During the summer of 2019 whilst berthed in Titchmarsh Marina, I did what I have done for many years and walked the yard looking at the craft. Some newer craft have an appeal and some of the older boats certainly, but it is usually the ‘graveyard’ that interests me most!

A ‘graveyard’ section can be found in many boatyards, up and down the coast. Inland ones too.

See: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-ruminates-on-boats-found-at-deaths-door/

I have been witnessing the gradual demise of many craft here, as have the yard operators, over time.

It is sad, but almost natural too, for there was a time when old craft were either laid to rest to rot in the saltings, broken up or burnt. Thames barges were often left to rot in a lonely creek.

The lady, Sarah Spinks, sent me a picture of her dad’s boat sailing. Note the relatively short mast for a boat with a hull almost 24′ in length. It was a common feature.

The owner of this boat sailed her on the Norfolk Broads for may years, with his family as crew. The family were ‘forced’ to sell the boat when the ‘old boy’ a husband and father, became ill. Following that sale, she seems to have passed through a couple of ownerships and was latterly based at Titchmarsh Marina from around 2012.

Sarah tells me that she is planning to acquire the vessel and renovate her. She is desperately trying to trace the current owner with the help of Titchmarsh Marina, where the boat has sat out of the water for several years.

Sometimes, owners of these boats ‘go to ground’ and it then becomes difficult or impossible to find them. Bills must have been paid … yards do not keep boats for the sake of it. But, and this is a big but, as came out in a sinking event at a marina in Brixham recently, the custody of an abandoned boat is dubious. In a harbour it becomes the harbour’s responsibility, but does not mean becomes legal owner. At a yard, a lien is often the only recourse, and is the way yacht and sailing clubs deal with the situation in a legal manner.

Apparently, if you destroy an old boat, the owner who has or had legal title may have recourse to compensation. It’s tricky!

As I write, the legal owner of Alcyone is still to be contacted.

Recently, an article appeared from the Eastern Daily Press, written by reporter Daniel Hickey:

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/norfolk-woman-search-sea-king-boat-titchmarsh-marina-7824306

This was also followed up with a fundraising page, raised by Sarah:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-alcyone?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

I have added a series of three further pictures of the Alcyone as seen in August 2019. Two years of being open to the elements has passed since these were taken, so her condition may well have suffered further.

My advice would be for a thorough assessment be made of the vessel’s condition by a competent person. A list of priorities and other work requirements are needed with worst case ballpark costs.

It may be that the hull is in relatively good condition. The stem can be repaired, but there are many unanswerable questions floating in even my mind, to give an honest assessment.

Below are a series of three pictures showing the deterioration that has taken place over the last two seasons (nearly)sent by my good sailing friend Ian Clarke, owner of MG’s old bawley yacht Storm. Thanks Ian.

Although, I made a lady very happy, I would seriously urge her caution for the project could become a disaster, financially. That said, throw money at a boat and anything can be done.

Boats though are not a matter for the heart alone and far too many people have learnt that the hard way…

We all have to say ‘farewell, friend, mistress…’ to our beloved craft at sometime, and I know I too will face that dilemma one day…

To follow the adventure, see: https://www.facebook.com/AlcyonetheSeaking

There is an organisation driving the acceptance of harbours as heritage ‘hot spot’ worthy of protection and an enhanced ability to attract funds. The forefront of this is currently bedded in the Thames Estuary area.

The initiative held a meeting recently and interested persons should contact Brian Corbett at briancorbett@aol.com for further information and or the joining of a mailing list.

UK Heritage Harbour Initiative is a joint long term plan by the Maritime Heritage Trust and National Historic Ships Shipshape Network to transform historic harbours.

Without going into too much detail it would be best to have a look.

See: https://maritimeheritage.org.uk/component/zoo/item/heritage-harbours-update

The report is wide ranging and cover the whole of the UK and Eire.

I have added a few pictures of some places mentioned on the east coast – greater Thames Estuary…

Not all are signed up participants yet.

From further afield, I found a picture for Sandwich. I was surprised to find that Rye has not made moves to join the group.

The Medway group with Medway City Council are in discussion with the directors of Sail Training International to bring the tall ships to the river in 2025.

That would be brilliant!

If you haven’t ‘mixed it’ with these fabulous sail training vessels, it is a fantastic experience. Most ‘east coasters’ are used to the ubiquitous tan sailed spritsail barge and smack, but tall ships, they’re something different!

A reminder of better days to come…

After I had my sail on New Year’s Day, equally enjoyed by the mate and ‘boy’ it became increasingly likely that England would go into a full lockdown.

We did!

I got myself organised and collected various ‘pieces of wood’ from my little sailing tender Twitch and also the washboards and fore hatch from Whimbrel.

Some of this has been written about in an earlier post, see:

Ditch-crawler and mate settle down to ‘Boris’ walks…

Many years ago, I made up a set of temporary wash boards and a fore hatch to allow these fittings to be brought home for maintenance.

The ‘bits of wood’ spent a few days in our conservatory drying out properly before even thinking about starting sanding and in the case of the hatch, a complete strip to bare wood.

Once the sanding was done, outside of course, I took over the conservatory breakfast table to apply the varnish coats. Clearly only one side at a time could be done – so for the wash boards a week and a half passed by before they were completed.

Interspersed with varnishing of wash boards and walking daily, the hatch was progressively stripped off with my new acquisition, a hot air gun stripper. The wonders of the internet when no shops are open. I’m converted almost entirely now!

The top of the hatch was stripped off with traditional liquid many years ago, probably around thirty…

I have said to my dear mate that the gun will come in useful when we do the cabin sides and sheer strake … her eye lids fluttered, not in normal expectation, but a kind of resigned horror. She said, ‘When…?’

‘That’s a good question,’ I said, adding, ‘probably the year before Whimbrel’s fortieth…’

Attacking the inside, which has had far fewer coats over the years was a bit more difficult. I had to be extremely careful with the gun as it had a tendency to singe the wood.

The power sander did the bulk of the middle areas but it was back to hand sanding for all the intricate corners and such.

Once all the sanding was done, it was a case of coat after coat.

On the inside I used ordinary gloss varnish (Blakes-Hampel Favourite) until the last few coats when I used a 50/50 mix of gloss and matt to give a sheen finish. I dislike the matt for it is far too ‘dead’…

That took a week! Then it was onto the top, overlapping onto sides.

The final coat to the top was taken round the bottom edge and sides too.

The hatch hinge screw holes have been re-drilled to suit new screws ordered on line, and is aboard Whimbrel awaiting fitting. I took opportunity to restock on a number of small sizes when ordering.

See: https://www.seaware.co.uk

What next?

Go sailing, I hope!

Last summer when we were sailing out of Crayford Creek, we had to gybe more than was normal due to the nature of the bends and wind direction. It was also a little breezy.

The upshot was that when I stowed the main on our approach to a mooring at the Erith Yacht club, I found that one of the nylon sail shackles had shattered. No problem ,fit a spare – my last of the size in use.

So, over a pot of tea, I went on line and ordered a package of shackles to be delivered to Limehouse Marina where we were due to berth a couple of days later.

When they arrived, they weren’t the ones I thought I’d ordered: Whimbrel has the anti-seize type with the little barb.

So, with time on my hands I set to and ordered the correct shackles and also a handful of slides with the built in stainless eye for use at the top of the main sail. A few have broken over the seasons and I had one left!

They were obtained from www.chandleryoutlet.com

From Pace Marine came the varnish I needed to get the hatch varnished. In my order, I had asked for the small 375 ml tins which I prefer as less is lost towards the end of the tin when it invariably skins over…

Well, the phone rang shortly after pressing ‘send’ on the order. They had two tins little tins, but not three. They sent the two and also uprated the third to a full 750 ml tin at no extra charge!

Amongst the order was a ‘present’ for Christobel for it isn’t so very long before she will be entertaining herself with one of her favourite activities – antifouling!

The prices too had been held back to their ‘Christmas’ offer level too. Thank you guys!

I needed some new bronze screws for the fore hatch as I had run out of the size needed and felt it best to renew rather than reuse the old ones. At same time I topped up stocks too.

See: www.seaware.co.uk

Used to use Combwich now part of Anglia Stainless, but found getting into their ordering site impossible, so I gave up! Doing a search, I found a company based in the heart of the Falmouth traditional boat country. They were more than helpful and had an easy to use ordering system.

Job done!

My next project was centre plate bolts.

For years I have used standard 4.6 grade galvanised mild steel bolts of 20 mm diameter. The last time I went to get some from a supplier I had used several ties over the years (I buy a box of 5 or 10 at a time) they sold me anodised grade 8.8 bolts. These are ‘standard’ builders bolts of relatively high tensile strength compared to the ‘plain’ mild steel bolts. They have more carbon in their make up and hence corrode far faster.

A 4.6 grade bolt easily lasts two years with the use Whimbrel’s centre plate gets. The tensile bolts need changing annually without fail!

The difference in wastage is stark!

The company made me up a box of 20 hot dipped galvanised bolts at a very reasonable price, even taking into account the transport cost of £16.00!!

See: https://www.rcfboltnut.co.uk/

I now have enough, probably, to outlast my continued ownership of Whimbrel.

Now that is a sobering thought in itself. Oh heck!

An email fluttered ‘onto the door mat’ yesterday from a disgruntled purchaser of goods from Anglesey Welding & Marine Supplies.

Still not happy with my unit. Probably the worst buying choice of my entire sailing life!

See my blog after my own experience of company – never sorted!

Anglesey Welding and Marine Supplies Ltd – Ditch-crawler is not amused…

A tale of woe came from Dublin, Eire. The chap ordered a fabricated outboard bracket – which he tells me hasn’t been delivered, although supposedly sent.

Chap contacted to ask if, when I had my own woes, I managed to obtain any telephone numbers for the company. Initially I thought not, but after a trawl through my ‘boat box file’ the order and paper trail of woe that then ensued is all clipped together!

Telephone numbers for Anglesey Welding are:

07522 591792 – on my invoice.

Mr Beardmore – proprietor’s own number in 2018: 07866 778215 – note, it was never answered and no messages were responded to!

So, it looks like more and more people are having problems.

Beware. Don’t order from this firm!

The Covid-19 crisis has meant that a large number of craft have spent the best part of 18 months laid up since being lifted out at the end of the 2019 season.

Looking back, I seem to remember that many yards, club and commercial, seemed to be pretty full even before the crisis, so the problem can only have been exacerbated. I know at my own club, space was limited for those wanting to be lifted this last autumn.

I nearly always carry a camera and just a ‘light-weight’ trawl through my pictures provides a gamut of views into yards passed by.

So many craft have the look of utter dejection. They are lichen coated. Sometimes, even bushes can be seen growing in a cockpit. I have even seen a tree growing out of a cockpit locker!

Often I come across craft on my rambles with my good mate. She’ll often be left striding away into the distance when I stop, pull out the camera and begin clicking!

The boat below is a case in question. She is a Dauntless of around 19 to 20 feet, probably gunter rigged. These little craft were once common around the east coast.

The boat has sat, apparently abandoned, for more years than I can honestly recall. She’s still ‘intact’ but for how long. As a yard man said to me some years ago, ‘Provided the bills are paid, she stays…’

There is another of the class in a marina in Kent. I take a look at her every time I have visited over the past five or so years – not last though for the marina remained closed to outsiders!

Wandering round a marina on the River Blackwater the year before last, I spotted several boats that had clearly been sitting awaiting a new owner or an owner to decide on his (or her) next course of action.

Amongst the group were a couple of Westerly centaurs looking somewhat bedraggled with lichen coatings taking hold.

Often the boats are still afloat. How often have you sailed into a marina and berthed alongside a yacht covered in Verdigris?

Well this little thing has danced many a waltz around her mooring buoy in a creek off the River Blackwater. I shall be interested to see if she is still there later this year (Hopefully…).

Now, sometimes, I am almost shedding tears. A once beautifully varnished clinker Finesse 24 has sat ashore in a yard off the swale for a good number of years. I believe it could be as long as seven to eight years now.

The boat came ashore for her normal refit and has sat, mouldering. I have spoken to the owner, now well on in years, who told me she was for sale – a poster on her transom has some details appertaining.

I am hoping to find that she has been sold. I keep the Finesse records, so hope to be told!

Another of my Whimbrel’s sisters sat in a rill off Benfleet Creek for many seasons. I have actually been aboard some years back when in far better condition. She was for sale for £4,500 then! It was far to high a price, I thought.

Her mast and gear have ‘disappeared’ since and her insides were ‘rifled’ by unknown persons.

I could go on looking through my files for pictures. In the current situation we all find ourselves in – not being able to travel for good reason – I can’t refresh and obtain a view of current yard holdings, but surely, my wanderings will return…

In all UK countries, the common goal is for a general opening up in late May and by end of June, full clearance from current crisis restrictions. People will be able to access craft from early April in England, hopefully … so it will be interesting to see how many craft have a ‘for sale’ sign attached as the year progresses beyond the usual rush to get afloat passes.

It is not only yards where craft can be found in need of more than a little tender loving care and affection for recently it was reported in the marine industry press that a ferro-cement ‘schooner’ had sunk in Brixham Harbour. It was stated that recovery and repairs to pontoons would come to around £100,000. Not a small sum.

It was also stated that should a vessel fall into disrepair, be abandoned and sink, the fall back is on the harbour authority. An authority also has to be careful in disposing of an ‘apparent’ abandonment: it might not be. But, in reality, ‘it is the harbour authority that is obligated to remove and dispose of the vessel at its own cost…’

So, it is easy to see why owners walk away…

I have been overwhelmed by comments made by sailors and ‘landsmen’ alike regarding being named as one of twenty-five people named as having a positive effect on the sailing/cruising community.

See:

Ditch-crawler is honoured by Yachting Monthly…

So, I thought I should share some.

From one who was inspired… ‘Well done Nick and Christobel . Very well deserved.’

From a man introduced to sailing a Finesse aboard Whimbrel: ‘Definitely where all my problems started. Well done Nick and Mrs mate.’

‘Congratulations, an honour indeed. xx’

‘Well deserved, you and your sterling mate. I am proud to be among the number to have been invited aboard of Whimbrel and supped a cuppa with you. Hero!’

‘How fabulous, and well deserved!’

A sailor in Chichester Harbour: ‘Brilliant! Congratulations but an entirely worthy honour! If it wasn’t for your combination of infectious enthusiasm and sound advice we would probably have steered cautiously away from buying Frith, and we’d be plodding along in a mouldy Westerly Centaur whilst Frith rotted. On balance it was still a decision of the heart, not the head but we’ve absolutely no regrets! Well done again.’

‘Well deserved accolade Nick.’

‘Great to see that coastal sailing receiving the recognition it deserves under your stewardship Nick Ardley. Congratulations on this award for all your work supporting the coastal sailor, by sea and word!!’

‘An honour you certainly deserve for all you have done to foster peoples’ knowledge of, and interest in, sailing. We are honoured just to be in the photo!’

And a mention for Whimbrel too – ‘Fabulous news!! Well Done Nick, Christobel and of course Whimbrel. Congratulations!!’

‘Congratulations to you both, every great skipper needs a great mate! Very well deserved Nick Ardley. xx’

From another who says it was all my fault… ‘Excellent Nick congratulations to you both and thanks for all your support and encouragement over the years. Well deserved.’

A touching comment from the Finesse Community: ‘You are definitely worthy, you are almost always the first to comment on questions I have with clear and concise responses thank you!’

From New Zealand came: ‘Richly deserved, what next a Knighthood?’ – I don’t think so!

‘And about time too ! You certainly deserve the publicity.’

‘Congratulations Nick “ our local hero” well deserved.’

‘Congratulations good to see the acknowledgment. x’

‘That’s excellent, it’s great you have been recognised for all your contributions to sailing…’

‘Congratulations on your honouring by the Yachting Monthly, you really deserve it…’

From a respected yachting journalist: ‘Well done and richly deserved.’

From the Netherlands came this particularly lovely message. They include Christobel too:

‘Ineke and I congratulate you and Christobel so much on your election as
sailing hero by the authoritative Yachting Monthly. Sure you earn a
place in their Hall of Fame (and in ours).
Above all, this means that many sailors, and we are among them, owe you
a debt of gratitude for everything you have contributed to developing
and maintaining the joy of sailing and much more.
As a little example of this, I send you a picture of the solar panel
that recently I installed on Josie. It does not contribute to her
beauty, but it indicates the purpose of being able to spend more time
undisturbed in the mud … of which satisfaction you sure have
contributed.
Enjoy this mark of honour! Kind regards, Ineke and Pieter’

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all, I am deeply and humbly honoured…

I was contacted a little while ago by Yachting Monthly magazine deputy editor, Katy Stickland, regarding their intention to publish a list of sailors who in their opinion were worthy of inclusion in a hall of fame covering the first two decades of current millennia.

All concerned were asked to be absolutely quiet about this … that was hard: I was exceedingly chuffed, and Christobel is so proud too, wanting to shout out to the world!

I was asked for a couple of photographs, in the event they used one already held. Picture of Whimbrel would have been nice too, Christobel noted!

The prerequisite for inclusion was ‘how the sailor had enthused others to get up and do’ and in this they had picked up on my writing, blog and the fact that many many people were taken afloat on Whimbrel over a great number of years.

As I said to Katy, I feel exceedingly humble for my inclusion and my thanks must go to all those that have supported me in my endeavours; all those who have found, through me, an enjoyment in the rivers and creeks of the greater Thames estuary and some of its history; all those who have sailed aboard Whimbrel and gone on to purchase craft of their own (especially a Finesse!) and all those who have been inspired to go out and purchase a Finesse.

Below are two sections from the March 2021 edition of Yachting Monthly – both courtesy of Yachting Monthly.

To this I would like to add my sincere and heartfelt thanks to Katy Stickland and all the Yachting Monthly team for the honour bestowed and for their faith in my writings.

Thank you.

I received a message from Katy Stickland saying:

‘I can send over the online version once it is live (14 Feb).’

So, I will post the article link just as soon as I receive it.

Katy also wrote: ‘If they or you could also link to our subs offer, where readers can save 35% on a subscription, that would be great too. The link is: http://yachtingmonthly.com/subscribe ‘

There we are, if not already a subscriber, get going…

Link as promised for full article:

25 Cruising Heroes for the 21st century

Also these sites for facebook, twitter and Instagram:

Facebook @yachtingmonthlymag

Twitter @yachtingmonthly

Instagram @yachtingmonthlymag

So, as the new year was seen in, in England, like the rest of the United Kingdoms of GB & NI, we found ourselves in a National Lockdown.

The Covid-19 epidemic had well and truly become a raging second wave. People dying had risen to over a one thousand per day and continued to rise. Hospitalisations were going through the roof, nearing the fifty percent occupancy rate.

People were required to stay at home unless taking exercise, collect shopping or had a medical appointment. There were other exclusions within the regulations…

Elite sports have been allowed as were various other things, sailing too, from a public hard. This would seem to disallow sailing from a club even though access for checking of one’s vessel is allowable whilst adhering to precautions. Strangely, sea angling has been allowed!

Some clarification needed here, surely.

Boris said, ‘take exercise’ which essentially was to be once per day and of a ‘local’ nature. ‘Local’ was never expanded upon in the rules and various Police Forces began ‘jumping on’ exercising persons!

So, other than a weekly check on poor Whimbrel, she has sat alone, probably feeling somewhat rejected!

We have walked… We have walked our local area in circles, in reverse directions and in slightly differing alternatives.

We want to go to places further afield, but…

On a visit to our club and the boat, I picked up the oars, centre board and rudder from our tender, Twitch.

Bit by bit the oars, centre plate and rudder were sanded, touched up and finally completely over-coated.

I made a batch of pickled onions, having not done so in the latter part of autumn, luckily finding stocks available.

Marmalade time came round and notwithstanding the ‘ailment’ of Brexit, supplies had come through from Spain, at the usual time.

The operation of preparation was done between us with me making the plain Seville and Christobel the dark.

In discussion with a number of people it transpired that a hyacinth helped greatly in dissipating the odours from varnishing. A lady we have been keeping an eye on gave Christobel one of these highly scented flowers for her birthday and yes, ‘my’ varnish was virtually nullified!

The weather, for sailing, was lousy, so, in many respects, nothing has been ‘given up’ in that respect, but I know that as the days, weeks and months even, go on, I will become more agitated about getting out on the water in good clean fresh air. Far, far, safer out there than doing the weekly shopping!

Finally, the last of the dinghy items was completed. What next?

Well, on my last visit to check up on Whimbrel, I changed the hatch latch onto a spare set of wash boards made up years ago to allow removal home of proper boards. These have still to be worked upon.

Next? well, I have that in hand for the near future as we canter on into February…

Do, please keep safe everyone.

2020 has been a traumatic year for many. The Covid-19 pandemic which has swept around the world from its starting base in far off mid China at the end of 2019, has caused economic and personal devastation.

In its wake, a huge number of people have been infected. Sadly, far too many have and continue to suffer the ultimate sacrifice. Many survivors have developed what the medical world have termed ‘Long-Covid’ – with largely respiratory problems.

We lost an immediate neighbour, leaving two teenage girls motherless. My own 89 year old mother suffered badly from Covid-syndrome and at the time of writing, a much loved 91 year old aunt is currently suffering from the infection – fighting it and showing signs of pulling through.

The ‘whys and wherefores’ of this whole appalling human tragedy will, eventually, be sussed out by the health body of the United Nations (WHO) with a view to what are the lessons should be learnt.

During the various levels of lockdown periods, we have walked for Essex this year – both of us wearing out our boots and requiring new ones!

During the middle of last year, I wrote a blog ‘asking’ sailors to abide by rules about going away overnight during the then secondary lockdown. Sailing had been allowed as an exercise sport during the day, with a specific instruction to return home to main residence.

The result of this was for a ‘disgruntled’ sailor from the Benfleet Yacht Club issuing a threat – spread around the locality and wider Thames Estuary – to burn Whimbrel. Later, after a verbal attack, the affair became an active police matter.

See:

Ditch-crawler gets angry about local sailors (Lower Thames & Medway) disregarding Covid-19 instructions…

Tied in with this, ‘we’ had gone to the assistance of a Benfleet Yacht Club vessel which had gone aground. The crew were desperate for help.

After stowing sail and going back to them, we’d attempted to tow the boat clear of bank it was on using a tow line quickly made up with our best warps. We failed. The tow line (our warps) was inadvertently passed to the casualty by the Island YC work boat which had also come to give assistance.

Sadly, but a sign of the age we live in, neither we or the Island Yacht Club received any thanks, nor have the warps been returned, inflicting a cost to us.

See: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-enjoys-a-week-of-glorious-carnival-weather-finding-courtesy-and-cheerfulness/

Attempts by the Island Yacht Club to convene a meeting to discuss these matters with respective senior flag officers proved fruitless with a series of prevarications on the part of the Benfleet Yacht Club. Their attitude no longer surprises me…

And there, it will probably rest.

So, for me in particular and my mate too, we are hoping we can put all of this behind us and go forward into 2021 with renewed optimism for a much brighter sailing year. And, to be able to sail where we want without fear of threats of any sort: this marred our sailing hugely during the past year.

One much favoured area was not visited and another anchorage only twice – the second resulted in the mentioned ‘attack’ and it is something we would not wish to experience again.

One of the major pleasures we are looking forward to during 2021 is the ability to take afloat all the people who have regularly sailed aboard Whimbrel over the decades. It has most certainly been one of the ‘downers’ of this last year.

I am already geeing some of my crews up: although the Covid-19 situation is currently quite grim, life will return to near ‘normal’ as inoculation numbers increase.

On the first day of 2021, we made it afloat en-famile for the first time for a number of years. Our boy as a ‘live alone’ so is allowed to move within our bubble. The ‘boy’ didn’t get a sail aboard Whimbrel during 2020 for various reason, from not being available, home working requirements, not being allowed during earlier lockdowns and weather!

Shortly before the boat picked up our crew arrived, relegating us to lesser roles of deck hand and cabin girl!

It was a bit of a grey day, with a cold WNW blowing down the creek. The air temperature was around 2-3 deg C, not as cold as our last sail of year, the previous day!

Sail was set in timely fashion, shooting up-creek with the tide, turning the boat on her axis to run out.

Waders swirled around the saltings and Brent dabbled amongst the cord grass stalks hunting for food. For once, both the mate and I had time to look around together…

Clearing the creek we ran east towards the area of the Crowstone in Chalkwell Bay.

Eventually, a tack was made in towards the shore. Passing close west of the ancient stone boundary marker of the Port of London, tacking away. People ashore seemed enlivened by our mast-head hamper: the Christmas Tree!

Further tacks were made with a long one out before heading in towards Leigh-on-Sea: I had booked a facetime call with my mother in her care home and wanted to be closer inshore for her.

During this time, the ‘cabin girl’ had set to and prepared tasty bacon and black pudding rolls. Yum!

Off Leigh-on-Sea’s Billet public house were turned round a Finesse 21, Penny and reached across the Leigh flats to the entrance of Smallgains Creek.

A few months ago this stretch of water was alive with Brent awaiting the tide to drop so they could feed on the carpets of eel grass that is a favoured delicacy. They were no where to be seen. We did however, spot a friendly seal which popped up for a look…

By the time we reached our creek, all were feeling the cold. I warmed up dealing with sails, as did the mate when stowing the headsail. The boy was ‘sent’ away to get warm!

We both walked away from Whimbrel, glowing inside and outwardly. I had a grin beneath my wind reddened cheeks which I carried home, with more than a spring in my step…

That ‘glow’ was wiped from our hearts by the more than expectant broadcast from the Prime Minister on 4th January 2021 to the whole of the United Kingdoms, but specifically in detail to England. Another full lockdown has been announced.

As I get set to post this, the likelihood of sailing during the next couple of months looks grim: the rules are yet to be promulgated…